System, apparatus and method for damping and stabilizing automation picking and stacking

Abstract

An apparatus for picking a product, including: at least one vacuum cup including at least one axis passing through the at least one vacuum cup; and at least one damping device surrounding at least a portion of the at least one vacuum cup in a radial direction orthogonal to the at least one axis. The at least one vacuum cup is arranged to create negative pressure and adhere, with the negative pressure, the at least one sheet of material to the at least one vacuum cup. The at least one damping device is arranged to contact the at least one sheet of material to limit displacement of the at least one sheet of material with respect to the at least one vacuum cup.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for picking a product, comprising:
 at least one vacuum cup including at least one axis passing through the at least one vacuum cup; and, 
 at least one damping device substantially surrounding the at least one vacuum cup in a first circumferential-direction, wherein:
 the at least one vacuum cup is arranged to:
 create negative pressure; and, 
 adhere, with the negative pressure, at least one sheet of material to the at least one vacuum cup; and, 
 
 the at least one damping device includes at least one resilient device with at least a portion fixed with respect to the at least one vacuum cup, the at least one damping device is continuous in the first circumferential direction about the at least one vacuum cup and arranged to contact the at least one sheet of material to limit displacement of the at least one sheet of material with respect to the at least one vacuum cup. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one damping device is arranged to contact the at least one sheet of material to dampen energy associated with displacement of the at least one sheet of material with respect to the at least one vacuum cup. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a body, wherein: 
 the at least one vacuum cup includes:
 at least one first end connected to the body; and, 
 at least one second end arranged to contact the sheet of material; and, 
 
 the at least one axis extends from the at least one first end to the at least one second end in a first axial direction. 
 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the at least one damping device extends past the at least one vacuum cup in the first axial direction; or, 
 no portion of at least one damping device extends the at least one vacuum cup in the first axial direction; or, 
 the at least one vacuum cup extends past the at least one damping device in the first axial direction. 
 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one damping device is displaceable, with respect to the at least one vacuum cup, in:
 the first axial direction; or, 
 a second axial direction opposite the first axial direction. 
 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one vacuum cup includes a plurality of vacuum cups; and, 
 the apparatus is controllable such that:
 the negative pressure is created, simultaneously, by less than all of the vacuum cups in the plurality of vacuum cups; or, 
 the negative pressure is created, simultaneously, by every vacuum cup in the plurality of vacuum cups. 
 
 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a body, wherein:
 the at least one vacuum cup is directly connect to the body; and, 
 the at least one damping device is formed of at least one wire including:
 at least one portion fixed to the body; and, 
 at least one distal end free of connection to the body or the at least one vacuum cup. 
 
 
 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a body; and, 
 at least one port arranged for connection to a vacuum pump, wherein:
 the at least one vacuum cup is directly connect to the body; and, 
 the body includes at least one channel connecting the at least one port to the at least one vacuum cup. 
 
 
     
     
       9. A method of picking and stacking a product, comprising:
 displacing, using a robotic arm, at least one apparatus such that at least one vacuum cup for the at least one apparatus is aligned with at least one sheet of material in a first direction; 
 creating negative pressure with the at least one vacuum cup; 
 adhering the at least one sheet of material to the at least one vacuum cup with the negative pressure; 
 displacing the robotic arm and the at least one apparatus in a second direction; 
 contacting the at least one sheet of material with at least one damping device, the at least one damping device substantially surrounding the at least one vacuum cup and continuous in a first circumferential direction; and, 
 limiting, with the at least one damping device, displacement, with respect to the at least one vacuum cup, of the at least one sheet of material in the first direction as the at least one vacuum cup and the at least one sheet displace in the second direction, 
 wherein the at least one damping device includes at least one resilient device with at least one portion fixed with respect to the at least one vacuum cup. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 damping, with the at least one damping device, energy created by displacement of the at least one sheet of material, with respect to the at least one vacuum cup, in the first direction and in a third direction, opposite the first direction. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , wherein contacting the at least one sheet of material with the at least one damping device includes:
 contacting the at least one sheet of material with the at least one damping device extending past the respective vacuum cup device in a third direction, opposite the first direction; or, 
 contacting the at least one sheet of material with no portion of the at least one damping device extending past the respective vacuum cup device in a third direction, opposite the first direction. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 creating negative pressure with the at least one vacuum cup includes creating negative pressure with a plurality of vacuum cups; 
 adhering the at least one sheet of material to the at least one vacuum cup includes adhering the at least one sheet of material to the plurality of vacuum cups; and, 
 contacting the at least one sheet of material with at least one damping device includes contacting the at least one sheet of material with a respective damping device substantially surrounding, in the second direction, a respective vacuum cup device. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein creating negative pressure with a plurality of vacuum cups includes:
 creating, simultaneously, the negative pressure in less than all of the vacuum cups included in the plurality of vacuum cups; or, 
 creating, simultaneously, the negative pressure in every vacuum cup included in the plurality of vacuum cup assemblies. 
 
     
     
       14. A system for picking and stacking a product, comprising:
 a robotic arm; and, 
 at least one apparatus connected to the robotic arm and including:
 a plurality of vacuum cups; and, 
 a plurality of damping devices, each damping device substantially surrounding a respective vacuum cup in a first circumferential direction, wherein: 
 
 the plurality of vacuum cups is arranged to:
 create negative pressure; and, 
 adhere at least one sheet of material to the plurality of vacuum cups with the negative pressure; and, 
 said each damping device includes a respective resilient device with a portion fixed with respect to the respective vacuum cup, said each damping device is continuous in the first circumferential direction and arranged to contact the at least one sheet of material to limit displacement of the at least one sheet of material, with respect to the plurality of vacuum cups, in a first axial direction, orthogonal to the first direction. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein:
 said each damping device extends past the respective vacuum cup in a second axial direction, opposite the first axial direction; or, 
 no portion of said each damping device extends past the respective vacuum cup in a second axial direction, opposite the first axial direction. 
 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein said each damping device is arranged to contact the at least one sheet of material to limit displacement of the at least one sheet of material, with respect to the plurality of vacuum cups, in the first axial direction, while the robotic arm, the apparatus, and the at least one sheet of material are displacing in the first direction. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the apparatus is controllable such that:
 the negative pressure is created, simultaneously, by less than all of the vacuum cups in the plurality of vacuum cups; or, 
 the negative pressure is created, simultaneously, by every vacuum cup in the plurality of vacuum cups. 
 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein said each damping device is displaceable, with respect to the respective vacuum cup, in:
 the first axial direction; and, 
 a second axial direction, opposite the first axial direction.